The Warming of a Cold Heart
by Terms2k1
Summary: Can love ever heal the scars of battle and warm an incredibly cold heart? Will Naruto shut everyone out or can Sakura open him up? Narusaku Valentines Day special Fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

NARUSAKU VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL STORY!!! Will finish it 2morrow

-Dedicated to someone on youtube. You can ask who just don't tell the person-

Summary- Can love ever heal the scars of battle? Will Naruto shut everyone out or can Sakura open him up?

-----Background Info------

It had been about a week since Pein attacked Konoha. The villagers immediately mourned the loss of Tsunade to a coma, and Kakashi Hatake was chosen by the people of Konoha to become the hokage, since the fire lord left the decision to the people. Kakashi immediately ordered everyone in the village to begin reconstruction, and so reconstruction began. Everyone was pitching to help, everyone except the one that saved the village and defeated pein. That man was Naruto Uzimaki.

Naruto had been dreading the fact that he wasn't able to make it in time to save Tsunade from begin put into a coma, or the village getting leveled by pein. Despite the numerous amounts of prep talk given to him by both his sensei-and now hokage- Kakashi and one of his trusted friends Shikamaru Nara, he couldn't get these thoughts out of his head.

This caused a dramatic shift in his personality, and his looks. He ditched his trademark tracksuit bottoms for baggy black jeans. He somehow managed to find an orange hoddie with black stripes running though the sleeves of the hoddie. He wore the hood always on his head and never took it off when in public. Although no one minded the new Naruto look-hell he even got some fangirls following him around- the most dramatic change would be his personality.

Naruto was normally one to be very open about anything and would always be very helpful. However since the attack on the villiage, he has become colder, and more closed about his problems than ever before. Whenever someone was getting buddied or need help he'd just shrug them off no matter how much they begged and begged and begged. Eventually during the week all the villagers started to give him his space once Kakashi told them all what he was going through. All of them except one pink haired Kunochi. Her name was Sakura Haruno. Sakura had a few run-ins with Naruto, but she noted that he was never really the same. It felt as he lost himself to pain and would live in that pain. Sakura then wonders if she can do anything for him.

And So Our Story begins.

-BEEP- BEEP- BEEP-

"Ugh………… dammit so tired. 5 more-"

Suddenly a knock on the door is heard from outside.

"HEY SAKURA OPEN UP TIME TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL!" someone shouted.

"Ugh……dammit Ino." Sakura said struggling to get out of bed. Heading to the door. She answered the door and it was Ino.

"You look horrendous!" Ino said backing up a bit.

"EHHHH shut it Ino, I just woke up." Sakura said scratching her eyes and covering them since she wasn't used to the sunlight's light yet.

Ino sighed,"Well get ready anyway, we've got a big long day ahead of us."

Sakura moaned in reply. It was like this everyday since the only medical ninjas in the village were Shizune Ino Sakura. Everyone else was a doctor with no medical-ninjutsu experience or very little, so the three of them were needed almost all the time. Sakura got dressed and rushed out the door with Ino following her. As Sakura approached a corner she made a sharp and quick turn going into the corner. It woulda looked cool but she bumped into someone whose mood was not forgiving at the time. He was Naruto Uzimaki.

"N-N-Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"……" Naruto said walking past her.

"Wait Naruto, I'm-"

"Sakura come on we gotta go, Shizune's gonna be super pissed off wif we get there late again." Ino said running past her.

*Damm you Ino.*

"Hey Naruto, I'm sorry about bumping into you, kinda in a hurry here." Sakura said hoping he doesn't get mad at her.

"It's…… ok" Naruto said without turning around. He then just walked around the corner.

*What's up with him? O well gonna be late! EKKKKKKK* At that Sakura dashed for the hospital.

She just barely made it right before shizune was about to get ridiculously pissed off at Sakura for being late.

"Sakura, you're ALMOST late." Sahizune said in somewhat of a temper

"Sorry, I ran into Naruto on the way-"

"Oh you ran into him?" Shizune asked in a MUCH more calmer manner

"…yea, I literally ran into him." Sakura said, a bit confused.

"What does he have to do with anything?" Ino asked since she really didn't know what was going on.

"How's about I explain it." Said a voice from the open double doors.

The three Kunochi looked over to the door and saw Kakashi, there.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"O well I just wanted to see how our wounded are doing." Kakashi said with a smile under his mask.

"Ok then, would you mind telling us what's up with Naruto?" Ino asked.

"Ino speak more politely when your talking to the hokage." Shizune said pestering Ino about manners

"Ie Shizune, it's fine when I'm talking with people I know, since I just recently became hokage, it's still gotta be a bit hard for them to adjust." Kakashi said again with a smile on his face.-A/N BTW Ie in this situation means don't worry about it.-

"Anyway, about Naruto." Kakashi said before taking a big breath and exhaling it.

"Naruto believes that it's his fault the village is the way it is."

"WHAT?????" all three of the kunochi replied together.

"I thought you and Shikamaru gave him a prep talking to the other day?" Ino asked.

"We did, but appearently we didn't make it stick." Kakashi said. He then sighed and continued.

"It was easier to get through to him when he lost Jiraya since Shikamaru lost Asuma a bit before he died. But this, this is a new experience. He lost what would be the equivalent to his grandmother and he feels like he let the village down by letting the village get destroy. I was expecting that he wouldn't becoming out of that state yet, but what he's become, it just saddens me." Kakashi said sighing.

"How has he changed?" Sakura asked.

-Sigh- "Sakura, did you notice the way he was dressed and the way he acted?" Kakashi asked back.

"Yea, it was weird."

"That's what's become of him. He's gotten much colder than before, he keeps to himself more and he's been pestering me about missions outside konoha." Kakashi said.

"SO you've told them everything huh, Kakashi." A cold voice said to the group of 4.

"Yes I have Naruto, they deserve a right to know." Kakashi said not turning to see who it is.

"Naruto?" the three kunochi said.

"In the flesh." Naruto said, not removing his hood even though he's inside a building.

"Naruto-kun would you remove the hood please?" Shizune asked.

Naruto just ignored her. And walked straight up to Kakashi.

"Kakashi any new missions that involve leaving the village?" Naruto asked.

"Well there is one I could send you on." Kakashi said rubbing his chin.

"I'll take it. What do I need, what am I doing, when do I go?"

"It's a delivery mission to Tea country." Kakashi said.

"Cool, when do I go?" Naruto asked, sounding a bit happier.

-Sigh-"You go once you find someone to accompany you, once you have that one person. See me in my office." Kakashi said walking towards the exit.

"Hmm ok then." Naruto said walking.

During the whole conversation, Sakura had noticed how cold Naruto had gotten, and how much he has changed. He was never like this before. He was normally out going and funny and had a warm heat, but now… he's the exact opposite.

"Hey Sakura, would you like to accompany me?" Naruto asked her.

"Uh……" Sakura replied nervously while looking at Shizune and Ino.

Ino was a bit scared and Shizune nodded.

"Uh…… sure Naruto, I'll come with you on your mission, but only if you remove that hood of yours so I can see your face." Sakura said. She wanted to know why he was wearing a hood. He never wore one unless he was spying, or if there was a ridiculous blizzard, but even in those conditions she could always see his face and smile. But the hood he was wearing made it so that it was hard to see the face.

"Fine." Naruto said, taking Sakura out of her deep thought state.

Naruto took off the hood and stunned everyone.

His hair was not longer bushy and spiky, it was all down and curved around his head, his eyes where no longer a calming blue but a fierce red. He had scares all over his face from what looked to be blade marks. But the thing that horrified Sakura the most would be the fact that he wasn't smiling or a bit happy.

"Happy? Now can I put my hood back on?"

"Yea… let's just go." Sakura said feeling depressed.

"Ok I'm going." Naruto said turing around and putting his hood back on.

Sakura started walking with him but then she got tapped on the shoulder. She turned and it was Ino.

"Hey, if Kakashi and Shikamaru couldn't do it with reason, perhaps you could make him feel a bit better."

"How am I supposed to that?"

"All you need is love." Shizune said.

"EH???????????????" came out of both Sakura's and Ino's mouths.

"Yea, Love can heal anything, if not make it better." Shizune said with a smile.

"But I don't-"

"Sakura you can stop lying to yourself now." Said someone coming from the door.

"Sai-kun!" Ino said running to hug Sai.

"Hey babe," Sai said hugging her back. After he broke the hug, he continued, "Sakura you've known this ever since you saw him come back, after getting beaten by Sasuke." Sai glared at her.

"I do not love-"

"Oh? You don't? Well then, why is it that whenever we went on missions, you were always blushing when he was touching you?"Sai asked. He knew that he had to be hard on her if they wanted the old Naruto back.

"I......." Sakura said, feeling as if she had been lying to herself.

*Do I really feel this way about him? Am I really in love with that idiot? I guess I am.*

"I guess I am in love with that idiot." Sakura admitted. Just at that moment Sakura felt a big weight off her shoulders and started smiling. "Well I guess I gotta go! Wish me luck everyone!" Sakura said running off to the hokage's mansion.

Everyone waved bye to her. Sakura would have to begin the long healing process that would warm his heart to become the burning flame it once was.

End of Chapter one

Thanks for reading Please Review! thanks!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was about 1 Pm when Sakura ran into the hokage mansion. There was nothing wrong with that time except she was late, but Naruto and Kakashi didn't mind it. By the time Sakura got to the mansion, Naruto and Kakashi were in a good discussion about forbidden jutsus, and such. Just as she started walking up to the desk, she heard-at this time Naruto didn't know she was here-

"Sakura, your somewhat late. You picking up my old habits?" Kakashi said. Naruto turned around. The two of them were looking at her expecting an explanation. Sakura sweated and got a bit nervous.

"Well, the hospital-"

It doesn't matter, she's here now, let's begin the briefing now." Naruto said, turning around towards Kakashi. Sakura immediately felt as if she was getting a cold stare.

*What the hell have I gotten myself into?* Sakura was thinking as she got closer to the desk.

"Well, the mission is simple enough, just deliver this scroll to one of our contacts in Tea Country, he needs some help that the two of you could hopefully provide." Kakashi said putting the scroll on the desk.

Naruto picked up the scroll, looked at it, then looked back at Kakashi, "we leave whenever right?"

"Well before the day ends anyway, but yea whenever the two of you are ready." Kakashi answered.

"Hmm ok." Naruto said rubbing his chin at Kakashi. He then walked back towards the door and said. "Sakura, when your ready just come to the gates." Was all he said to her before he disappeared from sight.

"Wait Naruto!" Sakura said running after her teammate.

"Sakura wait!" Kakashi shouted to get his former student's attention.

"What is it Kakashi-sensei?"

"We need to talk,"

"Is it about Naruto?"

"Then I'm assuming that Shizune told you her end then?"

Sakura got confused at this point, "What? Her end? YOU MEAN YOU HOPED THAT HE WOULD CHOSE ME??????" Sakura said marching to Kakashi's desk.

"hehehehe, Yea we bet that Naruto would choose you." Kakashi said laughing. "But anyway I have to give you my end of the REAL mission." Kakashi said in a more serious tone. "The mission isn't actually a delievery mission."

"WHAT?"

"Yea, this is actually an assassination mission."

"THEN WHY THE HELL AM I GOING???"

Kakashi tired calming his student down. He knew what could happen if Tsunade's hot temper got rubbed into sakura. He did not want to go there.

"Hey, calm down for me huh?"

"FIRST YOU BUT A BET ON MY WITH SHIZUNE, AND NOW YOUR TELLING ME THAT THIS IS AN ASSASSINATION MISSION???? WHAT KIND OF-"

"An Assassination mission eh?"

Kakashi and Sakura turned to the window and saw Naruto there listening.

"DAMMIT SAKURA!!!!" Kakashi exploded in anger.

*Shit was Naruto not supposed to find out about this? Kakashi's gonna have my ass on his fireplace wall after this is done* Sakura thought sighing.

"So Kakashi-sensei, would you mind briefing me on the mission? The real mission?" Naruto asked coming in through the window.

"Ugh… fine." Kakashi said leaning back in his chair. "Ok then Naruto do you remember the attack on the village?"

Naruto growled at Kakashi. Sakura just looked at her teammate, she wanted to hug him to calm him down but, she didn't know what would be coming her way if she did.

"I'll take that as a yes. Your remember that were two Akatsuki members that came to the village right?"

"Yes, there was Pein and the purple haired chick." Naruto said calming down.

"Appearently the chick's name is Konan. A little after you defeated Pein, she went to Tea country and single handedly took it down."

Sakura was shocked and Naruto, Kakashi could sense it and it gave Sakura a cold shoulder, was grinning.

"So let me guess, take her out and bring back order to Tea Country?" Naruto said.

"Yeah,"

"So do I still need Sakura to come on this mission?" Naruto said.

"Now that she ruined the whole surprise of the mission, it's her choice now." Kakashi said shifting his attention from Naruto to Sakura.

Sakura just stood there. She was about to say 'No' when she noticed Naruto taking off his hood to scratch his head. She looked that the flat head of hair and wanted to make it all spiky again. So she turned to Kakashi and nodded.

"Well I guess she is then." Kakashi said.

"Meet me at the gates whenever Sakura." Naruto said putting his hood back on and walking out the door.

"Ok Naruto-kun" Sakura said following him out the door.

*HUH??? KUN??????* was wizzing around Kakashi's head at that moment. Before he knew it, it was just Kakashi, all alone in his office. He leaned out the window and wondered.

*I hope you two are alright, this is gonna much harder now.* And with that he sat back down and begun working on the paperwork for the day.

Although Sakura tried to follow him to the gates she remembered that she needed to go and grab a few things for the mission.

"Hey Naruto-kun?"

"hm?"

"Uh… I gotta go back and grab some things before we head off. That ok?"

"Go ahead, just meet me at the gates when your done, don't take to long." Naruto said without looking at her.

"Ok I'll see you there Naruto-kun!" Sakura said cheerfully.

*So she's calling me kun now? Hmmm I wonder why. Maybe I should start calling her Sakura-chan. No, I'm gonna keep to myself for the entire length of the mission. THAT'S FINAL!* Naruto made up his mind inside his sub consciousness. The Kyuubi was there but he had been rather slient about everything that has happened to the kid. He figured that he should let fate and destiny do what's best for the kid.

Sakura ran home to grab some extra gear from her house. She was about ready to leave when the konoha 11-minus Naruto and herself- approached the door. Sakura was at the door and when she opened the door all of there friends appeared.

"Hey Sakura." Ino said.

"Ino did you tell them all what happened?" Sakura said a bit shocked to see all her friends there at her door.

"Yea she told us everything. I figured that Naruto was slumping but damm, this is just harsh." Shikamaru said in his normal lazy tone.

"Yea…" Sakura said, starting to feel bad about him

"Sakura-san, I'm sure that Naruto-kun wouldn't want you to worry about him." Hinata said.

"Huh? What makes you think that Hinata?" Sakura said a bit shocked. The rest of the group was a bit shocked by this as well.

"Well… I mean…"

"Sakura, I think what Hinata-sama is trying to say is to not over worry everything about him." Neji pointed out bluntly.

"You think so?"

"Hai, Sakura-chan!" Lee said with the pride of youth beaming from his face. "  
I was walking towards the gates when I noticed Naruto-san just sitting there on a branch near the gate. He was dazed off and looked to be meditating."

"Are you sure that's a good thing Lee?" Tenten asked.

"Hai, if you've seen Naruto-san meditating, it's a good sigh that he's trying to get in the mood for something, don't know what off though." Lee responded.

"Hmmm since when have you seen him meditate for anything Lee?" Kiba asked, questioning the validity of the manner.

"On a multiple of occasions, when we were doing some taijutsu training, he taught me that meditating is a useful way for any taijutsu master to calm himself and prepare for anything." Lee responded.

"And when was this training?" Shino asked, intrigued by the simple knowledge that he could hopefully use to better his skills in the future.

"Actually last week." Lee responded.

"EH?????????????" everyone there was confused.

"Lee, don't bring our secret training into discussion here with everyone," said someone from Sakura's roof. Everyone looked up and saw Naruto sitting on the chimmey.

Everyone replied with either Naruto or Naruto-kun to greet him. Naruto got off the roof and landed next to Sakura. "It's time to go Sakura." He said to her, then walking off.

"Hai Naruto-kun!" she said taking off after her teammate.

*KUN??????* was rimaging all around their heads since they never thought that they would ever hear Sakura calling Naruto, Naruto-kun. They all laughed about it and left hoping for the best results when the two came back to from their mission.

End of chapter 2

-looks like this won't be a one-shot after all, O_O" next chapter should be up by the end of the week. I needa focus on my homework O_O"

R&R PLEASE!!!! THANKS FOR READING!!!!!!


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